New hens not going into Eglu Go Up

[cluckingmad]

OK one and all, some serious batting of eyelashes has been done and hubby is weakening on the hatching eggs front, however I want to know we're absolutely ready beofere we even start looking seriously at eggs..

 

We would like to move our broody hen to the eglu once that becomes free (i.e. once the current occupants are happily roosting in the cube with the others). Do we let her sit of crock eggs for a first few days then swap them for fertilised eggs when she's out having a feed? Is there any way we can ensure she sits happily for the full time or will she just do it naturally?

 

Will she and any resulting chicks be ok in the eglu and run from hatching? Alternative is to pop her in our indoor rabbit hutch as a brooder, but think I'd rather leave her be in the eglu is thats suitable?

 

Finally issue would be reintroducing her to the other girls together with any girls that hatch and are kept - am assuming this will need to be done slowly as if they were all new to each other? Would we be ok to separate mum from babies to reintroduce her, then introduce the babies once they reach POL?

 

Ta all

[Chook n Boo Mum]

OK one and all, some serious batting of eyelashes has been done and hubby is weakening on the hatching eggs front, however I want to know we're absolutely ready beofere we even start looking seriously at eggs.. I thought he'd said no, well done you

We would like to move our broody hen to the eglu once that becomes free (i.e. once the current occupants are happily roosting in the cube with the others). Do we let her sit of crock eggs for a first few days then swap them for fertilised eggs when she's out having a feed? Is there any way we can ensure she sits happily for the full time or will she just do it naturally? My Blossom created merry hell & refused to sit on crock eggs, who said chooks are daft ....she squealed with delight at the arrival of the two eggs from her "run sisters" & happily settled until the fertile ones were collected. I tucked them in whilst she was munching & dustbathing & slightly covered the eggs with aubiose.....she didn't seem to notice the changes & has sat tight ever since

 

Will she and any resulting chicks be ok in the eglu and run from hatching? Alternative is to pop her in our indoor rabbit hutch as a brooder, but think I'd rather leave her be in the eglu is thats suitable? I'd stick with the eglu if you can, though how long are the others going to take getting ready to go in the cube? The longer your little girl stays broody the more condition she is likely to lose You have 3 weeks of brooding, maybe she can go into the hutch until the littl'uns hatch then move to the eglu with run

 

Finally issue would be reintroducing her to the other girls together with any girls that hatch and are kept - am assuming this will need to be done slowly as if they were all new to each other? Would we be ok to separate mum from babies to reintroduce her, then introduce the babies once they reach POL? Last year I let Buffie out with the big girls for her health as much as anything else as she was feeding the babies not herself & needed to concentrate on herself not them She came out with attitude & didn't encounter any problems with the rest of the flock, the babies (Light Sussex) started to escape their run once they were a similar size to the other girls & FR together...well in the same garden fairly happily from about 11 weeks, they learned very quickly to avoid "Auntie" Snowdrop

 

Ta all

 

Good luck

[cluckingmad]

Ah, yes, I remember you were worried about Buffy (funnily enough, its our light sussex Lilly who's brooding like crazy too). We're popping Flo, Etty and Suzy into the WIR this week, don't foresee any major issues as they all run in together at night (when corn's around), but then the three girls mentioned are taken to the eglu and popped in there. They all FR together perfectly happily, although there is still frequently the odd peck at poor little Suzy's fabulous 'do, hoping once they're all in the WIR together they'll all choose to roost together quickly, then the eglu becomes vacant again...

 

Marvellous! Just have to work on converting a "maybe" to a "oh, go on then " from His Nibs

[Chook n Boo Mum]

It might be worth "breaking her" this time & wait for the next time she goes broody then...of course I could just be an overprotective mum after Buffs

 

Sha x

[cluckingmad]

Thanks Sha

 

Out of interest, what did you do with your boys?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

One (Yellow Legs) has been rehomed to Golden Valley Poultry who had had an enquiry about LS boys, and failing that he could stay as apprentice to the Colonel who was their cockerel, and the other one White Back is living with a harem of girls (in his second new home ) about 2 miles down the road from me & I get regular reports

 

The boys from this hatch......however many there are .....are being welcomed back to the breeder

 

Sha x

[cluckingmad]

Superb Himself desperately wants vorwerks, so am currently using that as bribery... and he is weakening....